Quick Review: Pitch Black (2000)

September 7, 2013 / Leave a Comment

PITCH BLACK

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

Entirely at home in this role, Vin Diesel delivers yet another stellar anti-hero performance, this time as Riddick, a man that can see in the dark, in his debut film, “Pitch Black.” Held captive on a spaceship that crashes on an unknown planet and forced to search for refuge, the crew discovers that there is more on this planet than bones and spacecraft remains. With the night approaching and deadly creatures afraid of the sunlight, the team has no choice but to rely on their prisoner, Riddick, to help them get out alive. Often your run-of-the-mill survivor film, with people being picked off one by one, without Diesel, there would be little keeping this film afloat. However, with the flawed nature of the character and the growth he sustains throughout the film, you cannot help but root for Riddick to survive the night. With his deep voice and muscle physique, Diesel grasps this role and delivers, unlike his peers. Having a way with imperfect lousy guy characters, Diesel delivers the face needed to carry this franchise. Radha Mitchell and Cole Hauser supply familiar faces along with several unknowns, but this is Diesel’s showcase, and he steals every scene. At its core, just a science fiction film at heart, “Pitch Black” is memorable in its own right, yet fails to rise above its central character.